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Minnesota Wild: Weekly Roundtable, Who is the Breakout Star?

By Cody Defoe

WINNIPEG, MB - NOVEMBER 27: Head Coach Bruce Boudreau of the Minnesota Wild gathers his players at the bench for a pep talk during a third period stoppage in play against the Winnipeg Jets at the Bell MTS Place on November 27, 2017 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)
WINNIPEG, MB - NOVEMBER 27: Head Coach Bruce Boudreau of the Minnesota Wild gathers his players at the bench for a pep talk during a third period stoppage in play against the Winnipeg Jets at the Bell MTS Place on November 27, 2017 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Minnesota Wild
ST. PAUL, MN – FEBRUARY 2: Joel Eriksson Ek #14 of the Minnesota Wild skates against the Vegas Golden Knights during the game at the Xcel Energy Center on February 2, 2018 in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Ryan Darnley: Joel Eriksson Ek

Joel Eriksson Ek made the Minnesota Wild roster last year; however, his rookie campaign didn’t quite meet some of the expectations people had.

For him, I’m not expecting the dreaded ‘sophomore slump’, in fact I’m going to term what I expect as the ‘sophomore swing’. I fully expect an upswing in all areas of Joel’s game, provided the Minnesota Wild give him the chances to shine.

Last season, he wasn’t exactly sheltered with an even split of offensive zone starts (50.1%) to defensive zone starts (49.1%). Call it trial by fire or simply that the team trusted he wouldn’t be burdened by responsibility straight away. That, in itself, says a lot – if the coaching staff were willing to trust the player there’s obviously something there.

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So, the team clearly trusts the player. What does he need to do to breakout? Simply put, shoot more accurately.

His shooting percentage across his first full NHL term was a measly 4.5%; given this player produced at a point per game rate in his 8 game stint with the Iowa Wild last year, you’ve got to think there is more to him. If that shooting percentage can climb even 3-4% bringing it more on par with even the lesser performers in the NHL, suddenly he’s in double-figures for goals and could probably push for a 30-plus point campaign.

Nearly a fifth of his time on the ice was spent partnered with Daniel Winnik and Marcus Foligno. Swap one of them out for Jordan Greenway maybe and suddenly it’s a different look. Greenway can crash the net and if he’s improved his utilization of his size, bully the opponent a little opening up better shooting lanes. Suddenly, that shooting percentage increase isn’t so crazy.

His possession metrics weren’t anywhere near fantastic, below the elusive 50% Corsi. His 44.4% doesn’t reflect the skill he actually does have, but again I think is a reflection of his most common line-mates and himself not necessarily finding chemistry as a unit.

All in all, Eriksson Ek didn’t do much wrong last year. He just didn’t produce at the level that many assumed he would. This year, it’s a fresh start and I think as long as he’s been working hard in the summer, we’ll be seeing a player with a chip on his shoulder and a point to prove.

I’m calling it; Joel Eriksson Ek will be the Minnesota Wild break-out star for the season. The ‘sophomore swing’ is a happening thing!

Statistics courtesy of Hockey Reference, Elite Prospects and Dobber Sports.

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